Councillors

Contact your councillor

You can discuss any local issue which affects with your local councillor. South Somerset District Council is made up of 60 locally elected members, 31 Liberal Democrats, 25 Conservatives and 4 Independents

Find your local councillor

Our Leader and Chairman

Council Leader: Cllr Ric Pallister. Deputy Leader: Cllr Tim Carroll.

Council Chairman: Cllr Mike Best. Deputy Chairman: Cllr Roy Mills.

If you would like to invite the Chairman to your local event, please contact Mike on 01460 74245.

Leader of the Opposition (Conservative Party): Cllr Martin Wale. Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party: Cllr Colin Winder

Leader of the Independents: Cllr Patrick Palmer.

Representing the community

Councillors are elected by the local community and are there to represent its views. Each councillor represents an area called a ward, serving for four years.

The work of a councillor includes holding surgeries to help local people, supporting local organisations, campaigning on local issues and developing links with all parts of the community (Councillor Role Description).

Councillors are not paid a salary or wages, but they are entitled to allowances and expenses to cover some of the costs of carrying out public duties. They are not council employees. The elected councillors provide the policies, and then council officers (paid employees) put them into practice.

Allowances and expenses 2006/07

Allowances and expenses 2007/08

Allowances and expenses 2008/09

Allowances and expenses 2009/10

Allowances and expenses 2010/11

Allowances and expenses 2011/12

How to make a complaint about a councillor

If you want to complain about the conduct of an elected or co-opted member of South Somerset District Council or an elected or co-opted member of one of the parish or town councils that are within our administrative area, you must submit your complaint using our Complaint Form and sending to:

The Chairman of the Standards Committee
South Somerset District Council
PO Box 25
The Council Offices
Yeovil
BA20 2DS.

To help you complete the form, please use the Guidance Notes . The sub-committee can only deal with complaints about the behaviour of an elected or co-opted member. It will not deal with complaints about things that are not covered by the members' Code of Conduct. If you make a complaint to the sub-committee it must be about why you think a member has not followed the Code of Conduct.

The code of conduct for town and parish councils in our area can be inspected by contacting their parish clerk.

If you wish further information, guidance or any assistance in determining whether your complaint falls within the scope of the code of conduct or on the new arrangements then please contact our Monitoring Officer.

Become a councillor

If you want to make a real difference in your community, there's no better place to start than applying to be a councillor.

Find out how to become a councillor